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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — in sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — to get on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com